Friday’s openings: Time for some Marvel action

Above : Paul Rudd and Jonathan Majors stars in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” (Photo/Marvel Studios)

When you think of a Paul Rudd movie, you don’t typically think of something with action. You typically think of humor.

Yes, Rudd has been playing in the Marvel Universe since 2015 when he was cast as the title character in “Ant-Man.” But there always tends to be a twinkle in Rudd’s smile, as if he can’t quite believe that this isn’t all a joke.

He reprised the character in the 2018 sequel “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” with Evangeline Lilly returning as well.

And now we have “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” which is scheduled to open on Friday. This mouthful of a title has the two principals – plus characters played by Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Douglas – heading into something called the Quantum Realm where they face off against a character named Kang the Conqueror (played by Jonathan Majors).

And based on the trailers that have been playing for the past couple of months, it all looks a bit … hmmm, dour. Which begs the question Heath Ledger’s Joker asked: “Why so serious?”

Might be a mistake, too, especially where Rudd is concerned. But we’ll see. Other movies are opening, too, though neither is a 2023 film.

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” : Peyton Reed returns as director, and the CGI effects look complicated. Most initial responses say good things about Majors, who seems to be in everything these days.

Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter wrote, “While it’s not surprising that [Majors’] imposing physicality perfectly suits his iconic villainous character, he also invests his performance with such an arrestingly quiet stillness and ambivalence that you’re on edge every moment he’s onscreen.”

“Of an Age”: This 2022 Australian film follows a young Serbian-born ballroom dancer who has a flight with a friend’s older brother.

Cary Darling of the Houston Chronicle wrote, “Indie Australian director/writer Goran Stolevski’s remarkable and moving chronicle of a love encumbered by time, place and circumstance… ‘Of An Age’ is one of the best films of this young year so far.”

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” : Released originally in the year 2000, this Ang Lee-director martial arts film features amazing fight scenes – and skilled performances by the likes of Chow Yun-Fat, Ziyi Zhang and the Oscar-nominated (for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”) Michelle Yeoh. Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film.

The late Roger Ebert , writing in the Chicago Sun-Times, described the film as “The most exhilarating martial arts movie I have seen.”

As always, you now have the opportunity to have your say.